Photo by Ulizes Sanchez
Andrea Lopez-VillaFaña on Harrah’s lazy river
A few weeks before I head to Harrah’s Resort Southern California (777 Harrah’s Rincon Way), I decide it might be helpful to get an insider’s view on the entire experience. Little did I know that Harrah’s Resort SoCal's PR team would put me in touch with David Hasselhoff; actor, German icon and mayor of Funner, California, where Harrah’s Resort SoCal is located.
After chatting a bit about his career, he tells me, “I spend a lot of time at the spa and I spend a lot of time eating,” and then lets out a big laugh. He also recommends I try the lazy river. Naturally, after speaking with him, I decide I’m going to live out my staycation experience like the Hoff.
Harrah’s Resort SoCal is located about an hour from San Diego and is surrounded by beautiful hills. My boyfriend and I arrive at the hotel and make our way to our suite. I’m tempted to get into my hotel robe and fall asleep on the king size bed but it’s dinner time so we head over to the hotel’s buffet. We start with a little bit of everything from the different food sections, but for my second and third servings, I stick to the crab legs. So far, vacationing like the Hoff is proving to be fun, er, funner.
The next day, I mentally prepare the boyfriend for the important task of taking Instagram worthy photos of me by the pool. Surprisingly, it’s not a hard sell since he recently discovered portrait mode on his iPhone. The weather is sadly in the low 60s when we visit but that doesn’t stop me from jumping into the heated lazy river.
After struggling for 10 minutes to get the perfect picture, I surrender to the river’s current and float, Mai Tai in hand. To continue my Hoff experience, I order a seafood bucket from ’Ritas Cantina by the waterfall hot tub.
Photo by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña
‘Ritas Cantina seafood bucket
The bucket includes a whole lobster, shrimp kabobs, fishsticks, fries and fried bell peppers. I practically inhaled the whole bucket on my own while my boyfriend suggests I write in my notes, “all manners went out the door.” We sit by a fire pit to dry off and, by this point, I’m ready to take relaxation to the next level.
I leave the BF watching Cast Away in the room and head to the spa downstairs for my 50 minute full-body massage with Larry. I spend the rest of the time indulging in the saltwater bath, sauna, steam room and the relaxation lounge.
Photo by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña
Spiked
After a not-so-romantic dinner at Smashburger (I was too hangry to wait for a table at the other restaurants), we play the slots and grab a drink. Being a novice gambler, I lose all the money I bet, but luckily it was just $10. We head over to the bar Spiked and while my casino skills were disappointing, our bartender Matt was not. Of all the drinks he made for us, my favorite is the Campfire, a smoked marshmallow vodka-based cocktail with (bonus!) roasted marshmallows on top.
“Let stay here forever,” I tell the boyfriend, but he reminds me I have an adorable puppy and responsibilities to get back to. As we check out the next morning, I’m satisfied with my Hoff experience and my only regret is not purchasing a fluffy robe to remind me of the funner time I had.